Well, flowcharts can be used to analyze, design, document or manage a process in a wide variety of fields. Examples could include a Recruitment or Accounting process, the logical procedure within a piece of software, or a process in an organization such as Health & Safety, Equal Opportunities, Conciliation & Arbitration or Social Services. There are several derivatives of the basic flowchart including the Workflow Diagram,

Each flowchart should ideally begin with a Terminator shape, from which the next step should be linked. Each shape should be indicative of a specific stage in the process and there are conventions for each of these, the most common being the rectangular Process shape. Many others exist, however, including shapes representing Data, Documents and Decisions. Decision shapes are diamonds, each of the four corners (or nodes) being either a link from the preceding shape or action to be taken in the next stage depending on the decision.

A bad flowchart, on the other hand, can be an unmitigated disaster. When the visual version of your system is incorrectly assembled, it can lead to a slew of problems. Those involved in carrying out its steps may misread or misunderstand their responsibilities. A bad chart may make it harder to spot serious planning flaws. Weak efforts make it more difficult to hone systems for maximum effectiveness.

Theres more to a great flowchart than directional flow, proper symbol use and branch consistency. If you are doing things the right way on all three of these fronts, however, you will be more likely to generate a powerful and usable than are those who make mistakes in these areas.